Killswitch Engage dominate in Lancaster on 2023 'Mini Tour'

April 17, 2023

Killswitch Engage hit the road for a select few dates this Spring that saw them make a stop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for an incredible crowd that was ready to party on a Friday night.

2022 saw the band return to the road after numerous delays due to the pandemic for an a widely successful tour with August Burns Red in support of their 2019 release 'Atonement.' While the band hasn't had a major release since that one the show remained fresh as the setlist was completely reworked for this current 'Mini Tour' and Killswitch Engage brought the heat from start to finish with a drastically heavier set than usual.

Part of the lore and mystery of Killswitch Engage is the saga that has spanned nearly 20 years from their dramatic rise to colossal heights early on followed by the departure and eventual return of Jesse Leach as the vocalist. Fittingly enough Lancaster was also one of the cities the band returned to in 2012 when Leach reentered the band as the band performed at the now defunct and demolished Chameleon Club. 'The Atonement Era' of Killswitch Engage has seen the band enter a renaissance as they released a masterpiece of a metal album full of content that not only belongs in their setlist every night but flat out demands to be performed live. That doesn't mean that the songs from the Howard Jones era have no place as those songs also fit seamlessly into the set with Leach breathing new life into his versions as he performed with the same passion for these songs as he did his own material with the band.


The band's 18 song set was brutal, intense and as all good metal sets should be full of crowd surfing and moshing. While the previous tour saw the rotating a lot of material in out of the sets this 'Mini Tour' has seen Killswitch Engage really dial in a tight set of heavy mainstays and some rarities from the band as well. The night started with a triumphant roar as the band tore through a powerful performance of "My Curse" before pivoting into multiple eras of the band's discography. Across 18 songs Killswitch Engage kept the crowd at the Lancaster Convention Center moving as it was a nonstop ocean of mosh pits and security caught countless crowd surfers from the first song to the last. Leach ran the length of the massive stage through out the performance as he belted out massive songs flawlessly and around him Mike D'Antonio, Adam Dutkiewicz, and Joel Stroetzel sprinted the stage on guitar/bass.


While Killswitch Engage may not be on the road touring to support any new music that didn't stop them from reminding everyone how they've survived and prospered after 20 years in the metal scene - excellence, and nothing short of it. There are a lot of bands in metal but few possess the raw technical talent that Killswitch Engage does across the stage. In another 20 years we will be moving a little slow but there is no doubt that they'll still be tearing it up on tour and the studio.


Article Written By:

Matt Christine

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